Another Editorial Supporting the CA Parent-Trigger Law

California has a rare opportunity to pioneer an important and meaningful education reform for our most vulnerable students…. At issue is California’s brand-new “parent trigger” law, which squeaked through the State Legislature in 2010.

The law gives parents of students in chronically failing schools the ability to organize and demand major changes, including charter conversion. It’s a small law – only 75 of California’s absolutely worst schools are eligible, out of a total of 9,000 – and it’s already being used as a model for similar bills in Georgia and Missouri.

[California State] Superintendent Tom Torlakson, is trying to stop … parents from using the law.

It’s indefensible that our elected officials would choose to take the side of teachers unions and administrators over students and parents, but they do it again and again.

“We’ve been hearing from parents in Sacramento, Southern California, everywhere,” said Linda Serrato, communications manager for the nonprofit education reform group Parent Revolution. “Parents don’t feel like they have any other options.”